ROCKIN' AGAINST THE MACHINE
July 2004
DRIPHT - EP
If your radio is permanently switched on, it is virtually
impossible that you haven’t heard of Dripht, or at least their
infectious single, Mark Barnsley. Considering that the band’s name
stands for ‘Dub Reggae In Punky Hiphop Tempo’, it is no surprise that
the songs on this, their debut release, are heavily informed by a
variety of genres, including ska, rock and a healthy lashing of punk
attitude to top it all off.
Besides music, the other major factor defining Dripht is their
socio-political conscience, an element that is immediately obvious in
the title of their current single, Mark Barnsley. The song is inspired
by the real life case of Mark Barnsley, an activist from Sheffield who
was framed and imprisoned by the British courts for a crime he didn’t
commit. Crafted in the vein of like-minded protest songs, such as The
Special AKA’s Free Nelson Mandela or Asian Dub Foundation’s Free Satpal
Ram, Dripht’s Mark Barnsley is focused primarily on fighting the scourge
of global injustice, and for this reason, the band has made the track
available as a free download on its website, www.dripht.com.
Another important element here is that the three songs on this EP (and
the bonus video for Mark Barnsley) portray a band wearing its heart on
its sleeve, lyrically as well as musically. Besides the Mark Barnsley
justice campaign, the other two featured songs address issues such as
the (ab)use of aggression, the option of self-control, third world debt,
sweatshops and capitalist greed. Musically, the band’s sound is in
itself reflective of its ideals – think of a fusion of ska, reggae, new
wave and punk with radical intellect – think of a band with Joe Strummer
fronting members of The Specials and Gang Of Four. As dispersed as this
idea may seem, the connections are all there – dub, rock, reggae and new
wave, just as they are all there on Mark Barnsley’s skanked rhythm, Acid
Reign’s rock-reggae tilt and Continental Drift’s eloquent ‘vintage new
wave’ fretwork.
Recommended weblink: www.dripht.com
